Spectral scan: a globe of scan lines split into red and blue
Spectral scan uses the Scan geometry, which stacks 38 horizontal bars of different lengths until they outline a globe. Color separation at 32 prints every bar three times, a blue copy on top, a red copy nudged down and to the right and the color ramp in between, so each line carries a sharp red fringe like a misregistered print or a CRT out of focus. Wave distortion at 28 shifts the bars slightly sideways, which makes the edge of the globe ripple instead of forming a perfect circle.
Make it yours
Dial the fringe up or down
Color separation is 32, a strong offset that reads even at small sizes. Lower it to around 10 for a subtle chromatic edge, or set it to 0 and the three copies merge into single bars in the flat blue of the Second color.
Thicken the bars
Mark weight sets the height of each bar, 38 here. Raise it toward 70 and the gaps narrow into thin dark slits across a nearly solid disc, a strong retro sun graphic; lower it for crisp, well separated scan lines.
FAQ
What are scan lines, and why do they feel retro?
Scan lines are the horizontal rows that CRT screens and analog video used to draw an image line by line. Spectral scan borrows that look, and the red and blue split adds the color misalignment of early displays, which suits music, gaming and synthwave styles.
How it works
Choose a visual system
Start from one of 16 looks such as Signal field, Interference study or Electric passage, or pick one of 8 pattern geometries.
Tune the illusion
Adjust pattern density, mark weight, spatial depth, wave distortion, pattern phase and color separation, then drag the artwork to position it.
Set it in motion
Press Play to move the marks as a flow, a breath or a counterflow, set the colors, then sign in with a free UX Pilot account to use it on the canvas or export it.